Moving on

My column for today is Moving On. Cebu journalist Max Limpag was kind enough to blog about our meeting at that event. As to why some local officials in Cebu are disgruntled with the President, as I mention in my column, the reason is explained in this article from the Sun-Star of Cebu. Let me make one observation, which further convinces me that the law I love to criticize, Republic Act 8491, needs many, many amendments. I heard the national anthem sung in Cebuano, and it sounded so beautiful. And recalled, at that moment, that on the few occasions I heard my father sing the national anthem, he did so in Spanish (he hated the Osias version, which his generation learned). We should be able to sing the national anthem in any of our historical languages; while I support a national language, I do advocate regional languages as well.

Instead of the usual punditocracy and blogosphere division, let’s merge them today. Let us begin with two views on executive privilege, the first by Fr. Joaquin Bernas, S.J. and the other by Atty. Edwin Lacierda.

Then let us tackle the question of martial law, a state of emergency, and the new policy of a “calibrated, preemptive response,” all different facets of the same issue.

As for martial law, the Speaker says he won’t support it. Newsstand, however, asks if there isn’t, perhaps, a loophole in the Constitution that makes martial law much less difficult to get away with than we think.

As for a “calibrated, preemptive response,” the Palace justifies it in this statement: “Freedom of expression not a license to run roughshod over rights of majority”. I always thought democracy was always just as much about the rights of the minority as the majority, hence columns I wrote in the past, on things like Filibustering. Paeng puts it another way: are they just hypocrites? When they claim they want to respect representatives, then why didn’t they march to uphold the senators who voted against the second envelope, or support their representatives who are against the President?

The Inquirer editorial says this new policy “is bad policy and worse politics.” Whatever it may be, the policy is already being vigorously implemented (but former president Fidel V. Ramos says the policy is misguided). To be fair, the police say that the place for rallies are “so-called freedom parks such as Quirino Grandstand, Plaza Miranda and Liwasang Bonifacio.” Fair enough. Now there’s the Plaza Liga Anti-Imperialista right in front of the Palace, and someone told me it’s also a “freedom park” despite its postage-stamp size. Is this so? Or is the Palace’s “Freedom Park” somewhere else?

Anyway, thank God for bloggers like Punzi who has put together one of his online law lectures, this time on The Right to Peaceful Assembly. Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask, is there: what are the relevant constitutional provisions? And laws? And how do they apply to you and me? It’s all their in his entry. Read it. Tell everyone to read it. Tell government officials, both national and local, to read it. If they can’t read, take the time to read it out to them, with big arm gestures, if necessary. Or have them read JB Baylon.

And here’s something pointed out by a commentator and in Cyberbaguioboy: is the sudden energetic anti software piracy campaign, an effort to deprive dissidents of internet access?

In other matters, Sec. Rigoberto Tiglao says the economy is unscathed, and publishes an exposition on the economy. Go Figure points “forgotten” economic provisions in the Constitution which he thinks should be scrapped.

To which the best response I’ve seen on line comes from Ren’s Public Notebook, which bears quotation:

When someone calls the invocation of the “rule of law” something that is otherwise known as a “technicality,” that is a perversion of justice.

When someone calls justice the sole prerogative of the mighty, whether in numbers or in power, that is living in shadows.

When someone refuses to live in the truth and questions the very nature of Truth itself, that is not a life worthy of a human being.

Finally, there’s the question of the Palace getting back at those it doesn’t like. Fine. Going against the Hyatt 10, for example, could be a means for the public good. As I told Dinky Soliman personally on more than one occasion: the public needs to see you’re prepared to suffer for your convictions.

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Manuel L. Quezon III.

13 thoughts on “Moving on

  1. Finally, there’s the question of the Palace getting back at those it doesn’t like. Fine. Going against the Hyatt 10, for example, could be a means for the public good. As I told Dinky Soliman personally on more than one occasion: the public needs to see you’re prepared to suffer for your convictions.

    You said it. But is it getting back at those they dont like or moving the walls from the road way. In the case with these post dated checks i have read also on PCIJ that it is common paratice in some situations where if they tried to pay on time it would be late and the people who the money was for students and teachers would suffer. So moving a brickwall aside to move forward is not a bad thing… At least ME think that..

    And with Dinky we will see where that one leads as i posted on you other one i think she was an enemy from within, and once in a while you have to take a sour pill to get rid of the parasites.

    If she did good then that will last no matter what, If she just fed the villages without teaching them how to hunt of fish then it will be worth nought.

    Sometimes you have to lose a fight for the greater good even if your soul says not to lose. In the case with her policies and implementation of policies while she was in power there history will tell the story, Having the ear of the president as dinky had at the time she should have made good strides but from what i see it was just another crawl…

    When you are in such a high position you should be yelling and screaming to change the things which are wrong like the BIR now, Chasing and Screaming out each time they get someone.

    One policy i keep mentioning is to get the people who break laws, give something back to the community. Make them work on Saturday or Sunday for each trafic fine larger crimes more weekends. Pick up a Paint brush, a hammer, a shovel, Something and clean up the schools, Start there then move on to other institutions such as public hospitals..

    But i can gather this is probably against the persons rights, and freedoms or some such crap..

    I am sure there are broken tables and chairs at every school that could be repaired in a scheme like this. That will save millions and instead of sending the person to jail for a Day, And having to spend money on guards.. There are so many people who deserve to work off there charges and not go to jail due to lack of funds..

    I really dont think she will suffer for her convictions as much as the people she was meant to help suffer each day. She could have helped them there but no more….

    When the going gets tough
    The tough get going..

    That saying was not meant to mean leave or jump ship..

  2. sleeping, you bring up good points. personally i also feel that instead of putting people in jail, let them do community service. i also feel the same way about military service: instead of marching around, there should be a national lottery (the way it originally was) so only a few train to be officers. have the students help in government or in their neighborhoods instead.

    the late EZ Zobel said once that the way to move the country forward, with so many poor and hungry, is to make them do work building roads, fixing neighborhoods, pay them and dont pay big contractors. a person who works will value money more, and have more dignity. the same applies to squatters, who after all, many of them pay rent. they should be given the means to build their own homes, and pay for them slowly. not as a gift. a gift makes people dependent. i once visited a refugee colony in palawan for vietnamese refugees. the government assigned land, as a temporary loan. the church gave them materials and assigned engineers, but the refugees built their own homes with donate materials. they were so proud of their homes!

  3. Manolo, that sounds a lot like FDR’s New Deal. I guess, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

  4. Napapansin ko sa usap-usapan at kuro-kuro dito,ang paniniwala,agam-agam sa kawalan at mapagkakatiwalaan na mga lider o mamumuno sa bansa(Pinas),kung lilimiing mabuti wala naman talaga sa hanay ng ating mga lider(kasalukuyan)–ito’y sa opinyon ko lamang.

    Subalit ang tanong?paano nga tayo magkakaroon ng mga lider na totoong maka-Pilipino–kung karamihan sa atin nagkukulang at walang totoong pananaw na maka-Pinoy…kumbaga sa ‘radio’, wala tayo sa tamang ‘frequency’!sa ibang pananalita iba iba ang ‘frequency’ natin,wala tayong iisang hangarin na magbubuklod sa pagkakaisa–tama ang sinabi noon ni dating ‘strongman’ Marcos: ISANG BANSA,ISANG DIWA__ngunit sayang…naging salita lang(rhetoric)-naging ISANG BANSA,ISANG HIWA(maraming hiwa)!
    …sa seryosong pananaw,kailangan magkaroon tayo ng ‘rally point’…na magbubuklod sa pagkakaisa!pagkakaisa…sa interes ng nakararami!

    Ngayon, nagbabadya,inaamoy-amoy,’sinusubukan ang tubig’ ika nga-nagbabalak magbaba ng ’emergency powers’ ang gobyerno!
    Paano nga ba mapagsisilbihan ang interes ng masa–dahil nga sa walang suporta ang masa,takot sa masa ang gobyerno, nasa ’21st century’ na tayo, subalit ang pamamaraang politikal ng Pilipino ay panahon pa ni kupong-kupong(ok,bagong bansa, bagong lahi),puro pintura lang,mga magagandang batas-kulang sa implementasyon(puro/marami loopholes)

    Kailangan lang naman maging gabay palagi ang interes/kapakanan na maka-Pilipino(nakararami):

    1.Totoong independenteng gobyerno(homework)kung independenteng tunay hindi problema pondo.

    2.Pagsasariling sikap sa larangan ng industriyalisasyon,modernisasyon,pananaliksik at pag-aaral(malaki ang papel ng gobyerno dito)

    3.Hikayatin,hanapin(hindi upang patayin)ang mga marurunong,’skilled’,may pambihirang kaalaman na mga Pilipino sa ibat-ibang larangan(karamihan nasa ibang bansa)–lalo sa larangan ng mga makinarya’t kagamitan(sophisticated & heavy industries)

    4.Pagbuo at pagkakaroon ng mga trabaho ’employment oppurtunities’ sa lahat ng sulok ng Pilipinas(mangyayari ito kung isasagawa ang #2&3).

    5.Pag-aralan at rebisahin maige ang mga bitag(pautang i.e.WB,IMF,AJap etc)ng dayuhang interes–matagal na tayong naging pugad ng ‘foreign investments’-ngunit palagi tayong talo sa laro…wala tayong(sarile)produkto na pangbalanse…produktong ‘kamote’ kumpara ‘bulldozer’!

    6.MAGING BUKAS tayo sa mga kaisipan na MAPANGAHAS na mga ideya…magpakatotoo tayo__totoong maka-Pilipino!

    7.Sikaping kalimutan ang karamihan sa mga napag-aralan(sa ating hindi angkop na edukasyon tungo sa maka-Pinoy na pagsulong)
    ___rebisahin ang sistema ng edukasyon: Maka-Pilipino

    8.PANALANGIN(paghahahangad,pangarap)

    …kapag ang tao nauuhaw o nagugutom–gagawin ang lahat ng paraan masumpungan lang ang matinding pangangailangan,walang hiya-hiya;sinusugod maski ‘gyera (ng Iraq)
    …KUMIKILOS! para maangkin ang tubig at pagkain…

  5. Couldn’t agree more, Manolo. FDR really revolutionized governance in America. He instituted very bold programs which weren’t well received at first. He was sometimes called a dictator. EZ’s ideas that you mention are somewhat similar to FDR’s Civilian Conservation Corps and Civil Works Administration. They provided jobs during the Great Depression and alleviated some of the poverty.

    Since our country seems condemned to poverty, a perpetual depression of sorts, FDR’s policies are relevant. Those are things our leaders should focus on.

  6. MLQ3 Has the soap box the TV stations the Columns, With some pushing and some well thought out comentaries, we all could be part of a ground up revolution.

    Not pushing Government out but molding government to do what should be done.

    Policies is what this country needs, not critisim, and with the internet and many people behind a well thought out cause the change can come about..

    I am sure some of the Bloggers here would put in time to research the finner details and do what FVR did walk into the palace and hand over a well thought out and detailed plan of how it would work..

    Is this not better that yelling and screaming that the system does not work but the opposite, Prove the people can make it work….

  7. Two places on Community based orders or Community based service.

    http://www.justice.govt.nz/pubs/reports/1999/
    community_sentence/ex_summary.html

    http://app.mcys.gov.sg/web/indv_rebuily.asp

    Both have some relevant material, the Singapore one is about fostering children away from crime, and bad influences in society, which also includes the parents.

    From some of the data i have scanned through it has not dropped the crime rate or the prison stays as in all cases the judges have started giving harsher penalties to others, or included it as part of their probation.

    The Crime Reofending rate is the same if not a little higher 1%-2%, but i think society gets more back than that 1%-2% could take..

  8. Carl, that FDR thing you mentioned sound that really a great thing.If i understood correct, it was the people working together w/ goverment.If we can do that here that will be one great achivment.
    Sleeping, your correct about the thing on policies. I think those are the things we have to focus on.

  9. “As I told Dinky Soliman personally on more than one occasion: the public needs to see you’re prepared to suffer for your convictions.”

    …maybe that is the problem, and that is why these hyatt 10 folks have such huge credibility problems, specially dinky, its because they cannot put the money where their mouth is. well, what do you expect- its either they are also hiding something or they are only saying half-truths.

    btw, as an unabashed capitalist pig, let me just opine that i and a lot of us PIGS strongly support a much more ‘controlled’ protest environment. it is bad business.

  10. Acid boy, hyatt 10 made a wrong move, they listened to maling akala.
    I remember one of their reasons, they did not agree w/ their bosses working style.
    they where realy ridiculos!
    The other got slaped by the SC.
    Among them, I can’t understand why Parayno had to join.He was doing a good job already at the BIR.
    Don’t get me wrong, but I have an impression na lumake ang ulo ni Dinky.
    Or maybe she was in goverment just to spy.

  11. joselu,
    ignorant me thinks there are 3 probable reasons why the dink turned her back on the queen biyatch,as what other bloggers have turned to call her:
    1. she has her own political plans
    2. she is still smarting from the noli-dswd fiasco a while back
    3. her ngo plans are running afoul with gma and her present cordon sanitaire

    victor agustin, themost reliable columnist in the inquirer (HA!) implied that dinky and cory have a strong connection, too.

    i also wonder about parayno, and jose santos as well. hmm… even john le carre can’t write these things up!

  12. i met parayno. he’s a straight shooter, it seems. he was willing to suffer for his convictions. the reasons the hyatt 10 quit are valid, but not backed up by their willing to suffer for it. for example, when the SC cited finance secretary purisima for contempt, he should have challenged it and given the basis for what he said. instead, like many businessmen, he just paid the supreme court off (he paid the fine and shut up).

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